“In 2014, AIGA turns 100! Established in 1914 as an institute dedicated to the graphic arts, AIGA’s focus and reach have continually expanded. From 40 founders to 24,000 members and from a New York club to a nationwide network, what began as the old guard of a new profession has become a rich and active community embracing diverse and rapidly changing expressions of design.” ~aiga.org/centennial
At AIGA Raleigh, we have much to celebrate and to be proud of. Formed in 1986 as the eighth in the country (out of the sixty-seven currently in existence), our chapter champions design’s ability, design’s impact, and design’s critical place in uniting people. We advocate for design as a driving force in social and economic change, as a way of life, as a pursuit to shape the best kind of experience. The Raleigh chapter embodies the evolution of experience that design stands for as we implement an open-source model of organization whereby our activities are shaped and designed by the participants in the process.
To mark the AIGA Centennial, to celebrate the hundred years of design in the U.S., and especially to mark the place that our local community takes on the greater design arena, we will gather in early September for a dinner party to hear distinguished local designers reflect on the contributions of our community to the field of design over the years. We will also admire the work that local designers will be invited to submit later this summer. Stay tuned for details on the Design Juried Exhibition to be announced in late June.
Meanwhile, we invite you to reflect on your rightful place in the history of design. Are you an enthusiast of hand-lettering and all things hand-made? Consider that the Arts & Crafts Movement made its way to the U.S. just about a hundred years ago. Do you see any analogies between the two? Do you design magazine layouts with single large images bleeding off the pages, double spreads, and plenty of white space? Look up Alexey Brodovitch and his work for Harper’s Bazaar. Do you create flat, simple graphics for web and mobile applications, or for corporate identity? Why, you partake in the legacy not only of Paul Rand but also Lester Beall, Ivan Chermayeff, and Tom Geismar! Inforgraphics? Think Ladislav Sutnar. Grid? Do Josef Müller-Brockmann or Jan Tschichold sound familiar?
And if you are inspired to share your historical design reflections with the AIGA Raleigh design community, write a blog article and send it in. We would love to hear how the history of design plays out in your design work or what design trends and influences you have found inspiriting. Please email your article to amy.lyons@raleigh.aiga.org by the 13th of each month between now and September. Each article should be accompanied by at least one 1000 x 600 pixel header graphic, and any additional images you would like to include in the article. When sending images, please be mindful of copyrights and send only images that were created by you, that are available in the public domain, or for which you have appropriate permissions to use.
